Banlung - an off the beaten path gem.

If you’re in Cambodia and looking for a gorgeous, quaint, and relatively tourist- free location, have I got the place for you! Located in the Ratanakiri province in the northeastern part of the country, the capital of Banlung offers a welcome respite. There’s peace, a crater lake, and lovely sunsets.

Oh boy what sunsets! After chilling by the pool at the hostel I took in the sights from the bar. Later I took a walk in the small town (population 18k) to find something to eat for dinner but it was quite a challenge because English was not happening with menus strictly in Cambodian. I did my best by pointing to what others had on their plates and decided to let my eyes make the decision.

Gorgeous sunset.

The next day my travel mates and I decided to rent bikes for a sight-seeing adventure. It was a challenging ride with unpaved roads on dirt paths. We visited a Buddhist temple which revealed a great view from the top of the hill. From there, the spectacular Katieng Waterfall. It’s gorgeous as you experience the top of the flow with water flying down. You can also dip your feet in and it’s ideal for Instagram snaps.

Right before our adventure began.

At the temple grounds.

The view from the temple.

Katieng Waterfall.

Cha Ong was another beautiful waterfall that does allow swimming for a hot day. Bonus—a swinging bridge is nearby to take in a better view of the sights. The place is very green here with tress to keep you cool in the shade.

Cha Ong Waterfall.

The bridge above the river.

Right after lunch we went to visit the famous Lake Yeak Laom crater lake. Everything about it is gorgeous! So serene and beautiful. It occupies a 4, 000 year old volcanic crater with clear and pure water. We did swim here and took our time which was relaxing. There was a swinging rope used to dive in the lake which people seemed to be enjoying.

Lake Yeakom Laom.

Fun time.

My travel mates and I.

Taking in the view.

The next morning we went on a two day trek in the Ratanakiri jungle. It was a fabulous time, the guide was really enthusiastic. What a shame though seeing the lack of preservation to this ancient site—many distinguished and vintage redwoods were being chopped for the sake of housing. While discovering I had the pleasure of meeting some ants who got too personal and injected a stinging liquid in my skin. It hurt for a bit but wasn’t itchy. It seemed like my 'welcome to the jungle!' We trekked for about five hours and a lot was experienced on this day. We drank water from a piece of wood (called a water tree I believe). We stopped by the stream of water to have a packed lunch while we relaxed and sampled some wild bush seeds and sweet sugar cane. It felt great to breathe some fresh air. We continued on our way with the sounds of machines destroying nature from a distance.

Break during the trek.

Beautiful trees in the nature.

Having a drink from a piece of wood.

Upon reaching our destination for the evening we hung our hammocks and gazed upon the moonlight hovering over the redwoods. There was a stream of water to swim nearby or take a relaxing bath. Our guide made a fire while we brought some firewood. Our meal consisted of bamboo stick rice, chicken and veggies  that our guide had retrieved during the trek topped off with a glass of rice wine. The meal was placed on a fire and rotated from time to time to make sure it was evenly cooked.

Our view at the campsite.

Perfect for a good swim.

Hammocks hung for the night.

Our rice being cooked.

The guide scooping out the rice.

After dinner it was suggested we go hunt frogs which would later be served. We were in shock! He captured 7 of them and I saw the eighth one. Even though he asked me to catch it, I could not bring myself to do it. The frogs were placed in a bottle and sprinkled with salt. Our guide shook the contents and I wondered if the salt had killed them. He then got them out of the bottle, cleaned the insides, washed them and then they were deep fried to sleep with salt. Voila! Ready to eat. I was really nervous about trying them, I had to close my eyes, but wow! Delicious! We all ended up having a second frog. Sorry Kermit, but you were yummy.

Frogs being fried.

Frog ready to eat.

To eat the frog or not.

After breakfast, it was yet another day of trekking back to the starting point using another route. We came across beautiful views of the greenery that we didn’t see earlier. We ate some wild bananas on the way. These are interesting because they have big seeds in them. We made sure to take breaks whenever we could while we enjoyed mother nature. After about 6 hours, we made it back to the starting point and had some lunch. I highly recommend the tour, you learn so much!

Having a break on our way back.

Wild banana.

Our favourite cook.

Seeing how far I had come.

Banlung is not the easiest place to get to, but it’s well worth the wait. Enjoy mother nature in this beautiful Province of Ratanakiri.

To bribe or not to bribe?

After nearly three weeks in Thailand I crossed over into Cambodia via a seven hour bus ride. I had read on the internet that it can be tricky to enter the country due to bribes. My advice to you? Stand your ground and refuse to pay.

First break before entering Cambodia. 

It’s true, bribery and fake visa scams are a fact. Apart from that, it was an unforgettable experience for me to enter this country. I immediately sensed a change in the air the minute I neared the border. Being the only African on the bus I certainly got a lot of looks from security. While everyone was processed quickly, I waited for a long time to be attended to while the bus waited. I was frustrated beyond belief, tears rolling down my eyes. At this moment I caught the attention of one immigration officer who asked me how much money I had, how long would I would be staying and where I was going next. He suggested I go to another office where I was met with a bribe request on top of a visa fee.

Cambodian Boarder.

They certainty are not ashamed for asking. I told them I had no extra money. They gave me back my passport and I sat down again and waited for another officer but I didn’t relent about paying extra. This was my worst experience on a border crossing since I started travelling. While everyone on the bus got their visa in about 30 mins, mine took about 90.

Driving into rural Cambodia reminded me a bit of rural areas in Uganda. Cambodia is not as developed as Thailand, so things were a bit different. We arrived in Siem Reap at around 6 pm. I was excited to be in a new environment. After having a difficult time entering the city, the people themselves were so nice. I set out to explore a little bit of Siem Reap at night. They have a Pub street which I really liked. There were many different kinds of restaurants and pubs with a good vibe. Cambodia is cheaper compared to Thailand in terms of food prices with bigger potions.

Some street art.

The pub street.

Siem Reap Night Market.

Later I took a stroll into the night market which I really liked because the prices seemed reasonable.

After wandering around a bit, I had to get back to my hostel but my phone was dead. I found out I walked 2 km away from my hostel until I found a good Samaritan to help me check on his map where I was. Luckily enough, he decided to drop me back to my hostel on his bike.

The good Samaritan.

The following day I woke up at 3:45 am to visit the famous Angkor Wat Temple and other renowned places of worship. I had a one day pass but you can also get a 3 day pass to see all the many temples. It was so cold in the wee hours of the morning riding behind a tuk tuk. The rider took me and another partner to go buy the tickets for the entrance. After getting the tickets we rode for about 40 mins or so to Angkor Wat. It was still dark when we arrived but it was beautiful waiting for the sun to rise behind the temple. We were unlucky for it was cloudy that morning but other than that, it was still spectacular to see the largest religious monument in the world. It was first built as a Hindu temple as a tribute to the god Vishnu but later on gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Our tour lasted 90 minutes.

In front of the temple.

Angkor Wat.

From there we headed on to Angkor Thom, another beautiful ancient temple which was the last Capital city of the Khmer empire established in the 12th century. The temple is uniquely built with face towers at each entrance.

One of the face tours.

Angkor Thom temple.

One of the many entrances to the temple.

The last temple I saw was Ta Prohm. The movie “Tomb Raider” was filmed there. It was so amazing with giant trees growing out of the walls with most of it in distinguished ruins. I was so amazed by this and it’s a good spot for taking photos. This is one of Ankor's most popular temples and it was designated a UNESCO site in 1992.

Selfie at the famous location.

Tomb raider location.

Ta Prohm.

Amazing huge roots protruding the temple walls.

After all these three temples, I decided it was time to take a break since it was scotching hot. I relaxed all afternoon before I went out later in the pub with a friend. I did not spend much time in Siem Reap because I had less time in cambodia. But there are some things to do there like visiting the Land mine museum, floating village and enjoying a cooking class. 

My next blog post will take you to Banlung!

Pai, the hidden gem.

The town of Pai located in northern Thailand was the last destination in this country. My plan was to go to Chiang Rai but I was told along the way that Pai was the real deal. This is why I never make solid plans as you never know how things will change along the way. 

The public mini van from Chiang Mai to Pai took about 3 hours. Some travel by motorbikes but be sure to know how to ride; the route has many sharp turns and can be quite disconcerting if you’re not a seasoned rider. The scenery of the mountains with lush green emerald was an amazing sight!

The view of Pai.

I soon learned Pai is a laid-back town that’s ideal for walking with crisp, clean air. My favourite part was the night market in the walking street. It’s such a colourful slice of Thai life with ample cafes, bars, shopping and food. The good thing about northern Thailand is that it’s cheaper than the south.

The walking street.

Shops on the walking street.

Got a toe ring made from a coin.

My favourite garlic bread stall.

The next day I had planned with my friend to go sightseeing around Pai. Pai is best explored on a motorbike. We started our day by going to visit the temple on the hill (Wat Phra Tat Mae Yen) which has a big Buddha that’s quite impressive. Once you climb to the temple’s peak there’s a beautiful view of Pai which is stunning. If you get the chance, go during sunset.

Excited to start exploring.

Budha

Our next destination was the Pai Land Split. It’s so cool, literally a crack in the ground caused by an earthquake back in 2008. The land belongs to a farmer and the tear is 2 meters wide and 11 meters deep. You can actually walk through the split for about 15 minutes. After the experience you can enjoy ice cold drinks from a wild fruit that the farmer grows. 

Entrance to the land split.

The split in the earth.

Sunny day the Land Split.

We went on ahead to the Pabok waterfall. Bring your swim trunks as you can go for a swim or just chill on the rocks since it’s very cool here. The water was quite cold for me. We took a few photos and later headed to the Memorial Bridge. 

The Memorial Bridge was built during the world war by the Japanese and it is made of steel and wood. At the moment it is only used as walking bridge but it’s a picturesque spot for photos and to have a good view of the river. 

Pabok Waterfall.

The memorial bridge.

We got on our bike again off to the Pai Canyon. The Canyon is said to be most beautiful during the sunset. We got there a bit early and waited for the sun to make its descent. It’s less hot during that time so it was a nice respite from the heat.

Beautiful sunset at the Pai Canyon.

Pai Canyon

Exploring the canyon

Pai has some parties and events going on every month. While there I heard about a “jungle party” at an unknown location. We were driven to a forest-like place by the organisers, quite fun but very cold in the night. Pai is way colder because of its location in the mountains.   

There are more things you can check out that I did not get chance to see because of time constraints, like The Pai Hot Springs and some ominous caves which are 35km away from the town.

 Make sure Pai is on your list when exploring Thailand. It is beautiful, peaceful and serene.